Shattered Souls
by TheVoidWalker
Summary: On return to Konoha, Uzumaki Naruto was killed, but the mourning of 23 people helped him back. His will led him to break the veil between life and death, and come back as something new. A judge of souls, and aegis against the cruel and vile.
1. Prologue

Prologue:

Shattered Soul

* * *

Uzumaki Naruto trudged wearily onto Konoha. He had abandoned Jiraiya during their return to Konoha. Jiraiya went south, to Konoha, after realizing that Naruto had gone north, towards the Sound. Now, with Uchiha Sasuke on his back and alive, Naruto could return home. He walked on, despite several injuries that would have killed a lesser man. He couldn't move his left arm, and his had to limp on his left leg. His body felt numb. His head was bleeding… a lot. It didn't matter to Naruto if he died getting Sasuke there, he would do it for her.

The Uchiha had put a small fight. Kyuubi had helped, although Naruto couldn't begin to fathom why the demon was being so helpful all of a sudden. He appreciated it though. He neared the gates of Konoha. A trail of blood followed him. As he passed into the gates, the guards started calling people over, both because the Uchiha was back, and because the Demon had returned and the villagers didn't want him back.

The throngs of angry people gathered quickly. Naruto was unable to defend himself, every muscle being nearly burnt out from the intensity of Kyuubi's power. The crowd took Sasuke from him, and as he began asking for someone to help him to the hospital, he got a fist to the gut instead. Unfortunately for him, it didn't knock him out. The villagers beat on him for a good twenty minutes before ANBU could sort out the riot. By that point, Uzumaki Naruto was dead. Only 23 people mourned his passing, and some did so only in passing.

Those 15 were the rest of the Rookie 8(nobody called them 9 since Sasuke left); team Gai, their respective sensei, the sand siblings, Umino Iruka, Tsunade, Shizune, and the owner of Naruto's favorite ramen stand, as well as his daughter, Ayame. Of all of them, none were more affected then Sakura. She simply broke. No tears, no screaming, she simply shut down, as if reality had broken. Naruto had died fulfilling a promise to her, had died to make her happy. It didn't make sense to her why he would do that. This wasn't what broke her, however. She had been the one on call when the body came in. She collapsed at the sight.

Hinata didn't fare much better, but Kiba helped her. Kiba was there to pick up the pieces. She and Kiba would end up together within the year. Sasuke, on the other hand, just shattered everyone all over again. Without someone there to stop him, he was able to escape Konoha again. Worse, his twisted mind managed to claim responsibility for the death of his best friend, and he gained the Mangekyou. What hope there was of salvaging him disappeared with his insanity.

Naruto was buried in a dingy part of the graveyard, since the council wouldn't permit one in a more fitting spot. Naruto was surrounded by the graves of the worst kinds of people in his death. Traitors, murderers, rapists, criminals of every kind were laid to rest here, and him, a boy of 16 who had done everything he could to just gain something that ought to have been granted at birth. Simple recognition. The funeral was short. Nobody said anything. Tsunade became even more of a hope less drunk. She had buried her necklace with Naruto.

There wasn't a single person out of the 23 who didn't feel partly responsible for his death. It was because of these 23 that Naruto refused to go. Even through the veil of death, he heard them. Their crying, the drinking, the quiet, passing laughter that came when they remembered one stupid thing or another that he had done. He heard what happened to Sakura, what happened to Sasuke, and all the rest. And so Uzumaki Naruto, though already dead and interred, refused his passing. The Kyuubi kept his soul alive within his body, and the fox wasn't going to accept death either.

What it was that truly brought him back is the great mystery of this. But he called it, through sheer will and determination, Uzumaki Naruto called down the power to break through the veil of the spirit world, and back into the world of the living. He came back a year after his death. He had changed in every way. His hair, once a vibrant gold, was now black. His eyes were no longer vibrant and alive; they had become cold, and dead. Until he had his revenge, anyway. He felt no pain. He understood only two things: vengeance against his enemies, and return to the 20 people who cried for him, even if only once.

This is how the Shatterer of Souls was born, how Uzumaki Naruto and with him the Kyuubi no Kitsune escaped death itself to live forever as the ultimate judge of the dark, and cruel.

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POST NOTES:

So, dark angel motif here. What do you think?


	2. Chapter 1

Author's Notes: This is a short starter chapter. I want to say that Naruto's vengeance against the villagers is a small thing. I don't want to focus too much on vengeance, because while it is important to Naruto's character here, I am trying to get him to be seen in a light of twisted benevolence. Anyway, enjoy.

* * *

Shattered Souls

Chapter 1: Return and Vengeance

* * *

Uzumaki Naruto sat in front of his grave. Kyuubi could only tell him that he had died, that he had brought himself back, and what some of his powers were. He was now a living embodiment of his soul, a being that could not be harmed. That left the obvious question of what he ought to do. Burdened with the need for revenge, he made his decision. He had come back at midnight…before the festival. That meant all day and night the villagers would be out and celebrating his death. Unfortunately for them, that meant hunting season for Naruto. 

Sakura had taken up the custom of Kakashi, visiting the grave of a comrade that she believed she was responsible for. She looked sickly, and tired. It had been a year, and still she had not recovered. Her step seemed heavy, and her emaciated figure looked as though it were falling apart. When she got close to the grave, she gave the man there a once over. For some odd reason, she felt a pull to the figure in front of her. The hood covering his face and the black trench coat somehow reminded her of the brooding Uchiha, who had come to dominate her nightmares on the rare occasion she slept. That fear that it might be him kept her from saying anything.

Naruto watched her as she collapsed on top of the grave, and stared silently at the simple tombstone. "I killed you…will you ever forgive me…" she said quietly to herself. It was a whisper of whispers, and no one would have heard it. Naruto was, however, more then human.

"What difference does it make if I forgive you, if you won't forgive yourself? But what is there to forgive, Sakura? You didn't kill me. You brought me back." Naruto said. Sakura turned around at that. She was angry. She thought it was a cruel joke by some jack ass. Naruto expected it.

"Oh go away! You god damn villagers! You can't let him rest even after he dies!" Sakura screamed. Naruto brought his hand to the hood, and dropped it. His hair was different, and his eyes no longer had his spark in them, but the whiskers…only one person had those. Sakura didn't scream, didn't jump for joy, or even faint. She just stood there.

"Recognize me?" Naruto asked. His voice was apathetic. Not hateful, but dry. Sakura took a few minutes to respond.

"H…how c...could…this can't…."

"It's real. I don't know how, I can only tell you the why. 24 (_AN: I forgot to count Jiraiya..._) people Sakura. That's how many people gave a shit that I died. But they cared enough…enough so that my soul heard them. Each of you…I felt your sorrow. That opened my soul to so much more…its unbelievable. Revenge…maybe I'll just let them all live in fear…I don't know. But at the very least they'll know that in trying to destroy a demon, they created a God." Naruto said. Thinking about his vengeance made him laugh.

Sakura took a few moments to collect herself. This could be a cruel genjutsu…enough people knew she came here. But she couldn't ignore the risk that this was for real, as outrageous as it seemed. This was the kind of hope she had for a year tried to grasp, and it had always eluded her. She tried dispelling Genjutsu, but that wasn't full proof.

Naruto could see she was battling her self. It was understandable. Return from the dead is not an every day occurrence. "I know of no way I can convince you…but ask of me what you will if that will suffice." Naruto said. Sakura looked up at him, and met his now cold eyes. It is odd that the only thing Sakura could think of to prove it was him was to take him out for ramen, but it was a full-proof test, since only Naruto could eat more then ten bowls of the stuff and not hurl.

Naruto ate 30. Although he didn't need to eat, he understood what she was after. After realizing it was him, she cried. He held her head against his chest as she let out a years worth of depression and sorrow. Finally her tears turned to those of an emotion she had not felt for a long time, joy. When she finally stopped, her mind began to work again.

"Um…where are you going to go now…your apartment was demolished…" Sakura said quietly.

"I'll sleep in the forest…or something...I don't really know." Naruto said.

"N…no! Stay at my place! Please?" Sakura begged. Naruto found it curious that she would be so eager to help him, when in life she only ignored him, but accepted. Once at her house, he took the time to explain his new position.

"I can't be completely sure. I don't know how much you know about me Sakura…do you know about what really happened to the Kyuubi?" He asked.

"No…wasn't it killed by the Yondaime?"

"No. My dad sealed the fox into me." Naruto said plainly. This was enough to make Sakura do a double take.

"Repeat that." Sakura said, looking dumbstruck.

"…what, you don't see the resemblance? And yes, I hold the Kyuubi no Kitsune. Why do you think I have whiskers? Or a seal on my stomach?" Naruto said, showing her the seal, which remained imprinted on his soul, binding the Kyuubi's soul to him.

"Good god…" Sakura said. "That…makes total sense…" she said slowly. A very large picture fell into place, and the tapestry of Naruto's life which had always seemed so incomplete had its holes filled. "Oh god…Naruto…" Sakura broke down crying again, muttering about the things she had said, about not knowing.

"Sakura…I forgive you. I never held it against you. But you need to listen to me now. Today, the villagers will know I'm back. You don't need to fear for me. I can't die again, and you can't physically hurt a soul. I'm back here for a reason. I'm here to destroy the souls of people like the villagers that did this to me…people like Orochimaru…like the council…like the Hyuuga…all of them will know the wrath of a god." Naruto said. Sakura wiped her tears and nodded, affirming that she understood. "I need to talk to Tsunade as soon as possible." Naruto said. Sakura nodded.

"Naruto…your death…it made wounds that never healed."

"I noticed. Sakura…promise me you'll help yourself…look at you. You're a doctor right? This can't be healthy…" Sakura giggled a little.

"Coming from a dead guy?" She responded. Naruto gave her a small smile.

When morning came Sakura led him into the Hokage's office. Tsunade was sleeping. She was going to wake her, but Naruto stopped her. He closed the doors of the office, and walked up to the sleeping Hokage. Sake bottles were carelessly thrown about. Naruto simply grabbed her wrist. Blue fire bathed his hand, and Tsunade awoke.

"Waaa…no hang over…Sakura? Who's this guy?" Tsunade asked groggily. "And you're…smiling?" Tsunade asked. That in itself was enough to shock her awake. "What the hell is going on?"

"Baa-chan…you need to stop drinking so much…" Naruto said. Tsunade still didn't recognize him, but it did earn him a punch. He caught it effortlessly. Sakura and Tsunade were both dumbstruck. Sakura knew Naruto had changed through his death, she didn't realize how much. His physical strength, reaction, intelligence…without the inhibitions of bodily limits, all had accelerated and improved greatly. Tsunade's monstrous strength was child's play for him.

"How did you do that? No one has ever caught one of my punches…" Tsunade asked.

"Well…I was Konoha's number one most surprising ninja. Surprise." Naruto said, lowering his hood. Once again, the whiskers gave him away. Tsunade fainted.

"I need to figure out a better way of doing this…"

Tsunade woke up in half and hour. Naruto repeated his explanation after a hug that would have crushed him in life. However, Tsunade called on Naruto to completely prove his story. Naruto produced a sword from thin air, and, much to the shock of his small audience stabbed himself in the heart. He didn't flinch. He pulled the blade out again. There wasn't even a hole. He bowed as a joke.

"So…what exactly is the extent of this…power?" Tsunade asked.

"It's hard to say. Combined with the powers I had in life…limitless. With Kyuubi backing me, my enemies will find nowhere to hide from me. But I have already noticed one. I can feel souls. Such as your secretary. Total bitch." Naruto said.

"Really…"

"Yes. When we passed several people in town…I can hear thoughts…feel the emotions of others…all at will." Naruto didn't say that he had used this on both Tsunade and Sakura accidentally. He knew Sakura's regret over his death quickly translated to affection for him with the shock of his re-birth. He couldn't act on it…he was dead. He wanted to…but it wasn't in the cards. Tsunade wanted her surrogate son back, a role he could no longer fill. It hurt, to know all the old relationships he had were changed forever. But he would try to build new ones. Before they asked him about whether or not he had looked into their thoughts, he decided to show them something cool. "And then there's this." Naruto said, bursting into blue fire. "It will only burn those I will it too." Naruto explained.

"So how do you know all this?" Tsunade asked. "You've been here one night! Did you just…experiment with your power?"

"Kyuubi explained it, but he's been quiet as of late. Tsunade, today, you had better keep your hospital on full alert. For the few I have some mercy for. What I am going to do to the people who killed me, the ones directly responsible, is a fate worse then death. I am going to take their souls. It involves a lot of blood, and I know you still have your hemophobia." Naruto didn't mention that he could cure a soul or a mind as well as destroy it.

The festival started off around 9am. Naruto would let the villagers enjoy the day. He spent it with Sakura, catching up on everything. Tsunade had the others who had mourned for Naruto brought to her office at sunset, and wrote a letter to Gaara. Naruto decided it would be better to unveil his return to all of them at once. More questions but it would take less time. At sunset, before the eve of his vengeance, he walked into Tsunade's office. He was wearing his hood so as not to be recognized by the people on the streets, but took it off quickly, preferring to avoid shocking anybody too much.

The whiskers gave him away yet again. Although nobody said anything, they all thought it. Hinata's legs actually went weak, and Kiba had to move to catch her. Tsunade spoke first. "Everyone…as insane as this sounds…the man standing there is Naruto." Nobody moved. They all just stared. It irritated him.

"God, your hair changes, get a little taller, and get a better outfit, and not a single person recognizes you…eesh." Naruto said. Then the entire group rushed him. Hugs, crying, the whole nine yards. Naruto, being extremely sensitive to the emotions of others, found it a bit overwhelming before too long. "I appreciate it guys, really…but you all need to wait here. I'll be back in a second. Unfinished business. Sorry if I hurt anyone you give a shit about." Naruto said plainly, before blue fire consumed him and he winked out of existence.

The villagers had lit their celebratory pyre. The orange flame towered high, and drew the gaze of every person out on the streets of Konoha. This made it a perfect place for Naruto to announce his judgment of the villagers. People gasped in awe when the flame turned deep blue, and shrunk, to the figure of a man on the top of the tower. Naruto's voice was loud and fierce.

"I don't suppose any of you remember me. Today, on my birthday, I was cursed to a fate I never had the chance to accept. That was 17 years ago today. And now…another burden has fallen onto me. Villagers of Konoha, you murdered me! Almost a year ago…and all I did was bring back your traitor! You have proven yourselves beyond redemption! It is your sins that have brought me back to this world! I, Uzumaki Naruto, am your judge now! I hold your fate in my hands! And I judge all of you to be guilty. I take from you your souls!" Naruto yelled. The fire roared to life. The people nearest to the fire were the lucky ones, they felt nothing as the fire burned their souls and ripped them from their bodies, giving their talents, their strength, and their abilities all to Naruto. The bodies were vaporized. Naruto was on a warpath. He produced two swords, both one handed. He dove into the crowds of people running away. ANBU were trying to hold him back, and he took their souls to. Those who met with him experience excruciating pain. Once his blade touched the flesh of one with his blood on their soul, their very blood ate at their bodies, destroying them. It wasn't long before the main road of Konoha was painted red. He slaughtered people left and right. A few shinobi attacked him with shuriken, with jutsu, with everything they had. He let everything hit him, and pulled out shuriken and kunai one by one. He let them all watch in horror, seeing his power. Then he killed them too.

Tsunade warned everyone not to watch. She heard Naruto's yell. Everyone in her office heard his ferocious roar as he ripped into the crowd. Even if they wanted to stop him, nothing could. By the time it was over, only fifteen minutes had passed. In fifteen minutes, Uzumaki Naruto had taken the souls of nearly 400 people. Every single one responsible for his death.

As Uzumaki Naruto stood amongst the massacred bodies, he reveled in the burden lifted from his soul. He knew the price for his vengeance. An eternity of judging those who would bring this world to ruin was not so bad a price to pay. He came back to the tower covered in blood. Tsunade couldn't look. Naruto walked up to her and placed a bloody hand on her head. His fire erupted again, this time a white flame. It burned away her fear, helped resolve her guilt. When he pulled back, Tsunade didn't know how to respond. She felt no revulsion at the sight of blood…she couldn't understand why she had. "What did you do?" She asked.

"Cured you." Naruto said. "Of your phobia anyway."

"I know that…I meant…to them." Tsunade said, pointing out towards the area the festival had gathered at.

"383 souls. Their power is mine now. Some of them were shinobi. Nobody any of you would care about." Naruto said.

Questions bombarded him left and right for the better part of an hour. Eventually, a team of ANBU rushed into Tsunade's office. They were there to arrest Naruto. They were shaking with fear. Naruto laughed. "You don't seem to understand. You don't have power over me. No one does. My judgment is absolute. I am above your laws. And besides, every single villager down there had a crime on there head that warrants a death sentence. You ought to pay me for dispensing your justice. So go home, ANBU." Naruto said. They held their ground until Tsunade actually pulled out a check for Naruto. What he said made sense to her.

"So I take that means I'm not your Hokage anymore, huh." Tsunade said.

"You can't command me, but I would be happy to handle missions for you. Just know that I act of my own free will. I am subject to no one's orders." Naruto answered. He turned to the people gathered in the office. "You all were the closest thing I ever had to friends. I was your sorrow, your tears that let me come back. You gave me the chance to right everything that was wrong. I thank you for that." Naruto said. His former friends were offset by his coldness. It didn't feel like Naruto. It was obvious that things would take a long time to return to normal, if they ever did. But they had their friend back.

From that forward, the cruel and vile denizens of the world had a reason to fear. No longer could they hide under the shroud created by the twisted and corrupt in power, or those such as Orochimaru and Akatsuki. Wherever they hid, their souls screamed for Naruto. Each single tainted soul called to him. His judgment would be swift and without mercy. But for now, Uzumaki Naruto only wanted to rebuild the bridges that had been broken by his death.


	3. Burdens of an Immortal

Chapter 3 of Shattered Souls

Burdens of an Immortal

* * *

Sakura was worried. The Naruto that had returned was almost completely different from the one she had known. It wasn't that his golden hair had turned to a dull black, or that the fire that once made his eyes seem so warm and determined had faded. The torn black clothing made him look creepy, especially the trench coat, but that was an improvement from the orange jumpsuit, in her view at least. It was that the Naruto she had known was incapable of the slaughter she had been hearing about. She had seen him only a few times in the week since, despite him staying at her place. He treated her with kindness and respect, but he never talked to her for more then a few fleeting moments. She couldn't wrap her head around the change. Naruto was capable of killing, but he also knew mercy. Maybe his death robbed him of that.

However, Naruto's killing rampage had served a benevolent purpose, strangely enough. Almost every single person Naruto had killed was linked to one crime or another, most of them severe. Fate had seemed to place the scum of Konoha right in Naruto's path. Still, it didn't make the rest of the village consider Naruto as anything less then a demon. She sighed as she filed away yet another patient's report.

"Something wrong, Sakura?" Tsunade asked from the doorway of Sakura's small office.

"Doesn't it seem odd to you…that Naruto would just go killing off people like that?"

"Not those people. He did say he could feel out evil, like a sixth sense for him. You read the files of the victims. After we salvaged some DNA to identify them, ninety percent were linked with crimes punishable by death." Tsunade answered.

"Still…that isn't like Naruto." Sakura said. Tsunade frowned, knowing that Sakura was right. The worries of her protégé reminded her that she had to sort out some official business with the recently reborn Naruto. Deciding to kill two birds with one stone, she decided to call him in. Thinking about it after Sakura left to bring him to the Hokage office, she realized she had no power over him. His contract as a shinobi was only binding for life, and it's not as if she had a shinobi that could handle him anymore.

Naruto was walking outside of Konoha. Walking within it reminded him too much of his former life. The stares were worse then ever. Of course, he could bare them now. He had done something to deserve it. Even his friends were scared of him. He heard their thoughts. They didn't know who he was anymore, and he didn't know himself either. As he walked, he focused on the mental link that had existed between him and the Kyuubi. For a week, the fox had said nothing. Frustrated, he focused his efforts on testing his new powers.

First he began to test his flame. The blue flame had physical effects. He found that he almost instinctually knew his limits. He torched a tree without a thought. Using that same power, he healed the broken wing of a bird. That left him wondering about the white flame he had used on Tsunade. It was clearly related to the spirit, since the blue fire had let him take alcohol out of her system, while the white flame let him touch her very soul, and mend the cracks in it. 'But then, why is it that I steal and shatter souls with blue fire?' Naruto thought.

Shifting his focus to raw physical abilities, he discovered that he had a wide array of techniques and skills he had no knowledge of in life. Memories that weren't his were in his head. He burned most of those out, he didn't want the memory of a rapist or serial murderer to burden him. Some memories he kept however, those of the shinobi, and those of tradesmen. He gained skills he hadn't known to exist. 'A side affect of absorbing a soul? Do I steal everything…not just their afterlife…but their very life itself?' He wondered. As he scanned through his new array of talents, he came upon a curious notion. Amongst the many souls he claimed that day were several Hyuuga. All of them were branch members who had been kidnapping Main House children, and slaughtering them. Naruto understood the bad blood between the families, but murdering children who knew little of the conflict was inexcusable. In ridding the world of these pale eyed criminals, Naruto found that he gained their Byakugan. He had the power of each of their eyes put into his.

He had no idea how to use his eyes, until he sifted through some of the early memories of the Hyuuga he had killed. Rushing through them in seconds, he gained a lifetime of knowledge on the bloodline, and the Gentle Fist combat style.

"Useless…" Naruto decided. The Hyuuga eyes didn't help someone who didn't need to see. Death had granted Naruto a great advantage over any shinobi. He was no longer sight reliant. Even enhancing his other senses did nothing if mentally his sight was still his primary sense. Now, everything worked not only better, but nothing had priority. As such, he had more effective ways of detecting his opponent. The Byakugan's only real use was the fact that it could zoom in, so if he was ever up wind of an opponent and couldn't get their scent, he could see them.

Naruto smelt Sakura flowers, the sent he had recently associated with Sakura, ever since he was able to link smell and memory. He didn't turn to look at her. He had learned to hide knowledge on the battle field, especially when he knew where his opponent was. He simply kept digging through his mind. It seemed different then before…more primal.

"Naruto…Tsunade-sama wants to see you." Sakura said.

"When?" Naruto said.

"Now, Naruto…kun." She added that in the hopes that he would respond to it. He simply turned around, grabbed her, and made them disappear in blue flame. They didn't know they were being watched. A figure in a torn black cloak watched them above, hiding himself from Naruto's new found senses. It wasn't hard, he knew how they worked. He knew a lot about Naruto. Some of Naruto's gifts were unfamiliar to him, but only a very small few.

"The kid is smart…good, that means I can get back to my job soon." He said, before disappearing in blue fire.

They reappeared in Tsunade's office. She was a little shocked at the speedy arrival. For a moment, she had thought Naruto had used the Hiraishin, until she registered that the flash was blue, obviously from Naruto's fire.

"What was that?" She asked.

"I'm a spirit. I go where I want, when I want." Naruto said. Tsunade was starting to see what Sakura was talking about. She knew Naruto wanted to get his life back, but she also knew how difficult that was to do when he had to balance the baggage of his death and his life prior to it.

"Look, Naruto…" Tsunade began. Sakura cut her off.

"What's wrong? You're acting so…cold. It reminds me of him…of Sasuke. And Naruto…you scared me, with all those people. I know they deserved it but…please Naruto…what is going on…" Sakura said, reduced to tears. In life or death, Naruto had a soft spot for a woman crying.

"I'm sorry…I just don't feel anything. All I can remember is the worst of it…I don't know why. Rationally…I know I should just reserve it for the people I hate…but I can't help it. I feel so…vengeful. It dominates my mind." Naruto said. Whatever response Naruto would have received for that statement, it was interrupted by another flash of blue.

"You really shouldn't apologize." Said the newcomer, the figure cloaked in black. "You are new to this, so you haven't resolved your life." Everyone was just staring at him.

"Jesus fucking Christ, there are more of you!? You could have said something Naruto!" Tsunade said.

"Don't look at me; I don't know anything about this guy. But who are you…are you…undead?" Naruto said, trying to find the word to describe what he was.

"Yes, but I'm not from around here. Every world ends up with someone like us eventually. You got the job for this one." The figure said casually.

"Job?" Naruto asked.

"You said it yourself before taking revenge on those people. You are the judge of this world now. You are smarter then the last scrub I had to train, even if you stumble across a lot of answers on accident. I'm here to teach you the finer points of this what you are here for. Now, your first responsibility is to yourself. If you ended up like this, you must have had a whole lot of burdens. My point is that you have to resolve those. The most important of which is to find out whom or what caused all this, and take revenge. You won't be able to 'live' until you do." The figure said.

"Wait, who the hell are you?" Tsunade asked. "I should have you arrested for just barging in here!"

"Forgive me. The name is Gavin. As I've said, I'm from somewhere else…extra dimensional physics bullshit would explain it, but unfortunately, I never learned that. I spend my free time on music. I was a DJ back home. Before I died." Gavin said.

"So…how do I do all that? Find the person who caused my life to go to shit?" Naruto said.

"Well, you only have to kill one key person to let go of all the unnecessary hatred. But…people who deserve to be punished…you don't have a choice. That's why you shouldn't apologize. Naruto, if you don't want to suffer, you'll never fight the urge to claim the souls of the condemned, or you will experience hell on Earth until you give in, or their soul shatters itself, and without you there to take the pieces….they become Shades." Gavin said.

"Shades…what like sunglasses…" Naruto said skeptically. Gavin whacked Naruto in the head.

"Don't joke about these things. They are vicious. They feed on souls…especially pure ones. They can hurt you, as well. So don't fight the urge when you get it. Give in, and do what you have to. No matter whom it is. If nothing else, be merciful, and grant them an afterlife, but their soul cannot stay in this world." Gavin said. Tsunade had pulled out a notebook and was taking notes, something the Sandaime had secretly done. It was one reason he was called "The Professor," he kept a large compendium of every piece of information he collected. He took the idea from his student, Jiraiya, and now Tsunade had taken it from him.

"But how does this help Naruto…be himself again?" Sakura asked.

"Well, right now his hatred has no target. Looking at Naruto here, I'd say he needs a least three people to gun for. Kill one, and your hatred will focus itself. So think about who or what caused all of this. You two help him out; you may know something he doesn't…until you think of it anyway…" Gavin said.

"Speaking of which, why can't I read your thoughts?" Naruto asked.

"I can shield myself from the power of a trainee." Gavin said. "Now think."

"Uchiha Itachi." Tsunade said. Naruto and Sakura both seemed a little surprised that she would jump to him. "Sasuke isn't the root of all the recent tragedies. It's his brother. Sasuke would never have ended up the way he is if not for his brother."

"A definite target. This Sasuke guy sounds like he's got some bad blood with you. If his soul is lost, he might be a good target."

"No." Naruto said. "Sasuke isn't lost. He's just being controlled. I can cure that now. If he's still…psycho after I get that curse seal off him…will I have a choice to save my friend, Gavin?" Naruto said, testing the foreign name.

"I'm afraid not…hope that this 'curse seal' you are picturing in your head is what drives his insanity. Or else, have what mercy you can on him. He damned himself." Gavin said. "Naruto, you have been given both freedom and slavery. You have been given the freedom to do what you wish, but it comes at the cost of an enslavement of a sort…you are bound by your duty." Naruto took a moment to mull this over.

"Shit." Naruto said. Gavin laughed.

"That was my reaction too. But you are stuck with it. Make the best of it, and after you kill of this Itachi guy, have fun with it. I mean, you can't feel anything now, but that is because your duty to yourself isn't complete. Once you get your humanity back, you get to enjoy yourself a little more."

"Oh joy, something to look forward too." Naruto said sarcastically.

"Yeah, and here's something else. You are going to spend the majority of your time hunting Shades! There are a few that are naturally formed. Some people just shatter their souls on their own, they don't need help. I am here to teach how to deal with them, and trust me, you will need help." Gavin said.

"Fuck them, I've never seen one." Naruto said.

"But you know one. Shades are sentient, but they keep themselves secret. Only you can feel them Naruto, even I can't, because I don't have jurisdiction here. I only have power to defend myself, that's it." Gavin said.

"So who exactly is this Shade?" Naruto asked.

"Feel him out. Merely search for evil souls. You will find several that are fragmented. Those are Shades, and they are immensely powerful. They are essential negatives to us." Gavin said. Naruto tried to reach out with a sense he wasn't entirely experienced with. All across his world he could feel the souls of the most vile people in existence. He could see all their actions at once, and new their names, their histories, and most importantly, their crimes. However, he found a few, no more then five hundred, that were fragmented. Completely darkened by their sins, when death claimed these souls, they were too weak to pass on, and shattered. Naruto actually found himself shacking at the pure vileness of these dark creatures. "You feel them? Focus harder. Find one nearby. If you focus hard enough, you can see the shell the Shade hides in, and they do take human forms. It lets them feed more efficiently on the living." Gavin said.

Naruto tried to apply some spatial relation to his mental map of souls. He was eventually able to piece together one by the distance a soul was relative to him. And he found a Shade. He focused on it, hard. His connection to every other soul stopped, and he could see the face that his target was wearing.

"Why am I not surprised?" Naruto said. Tsunade looked up.

"Who?" She said.

"Orochimaru." Naruto said. Tsunade rolled her eyes. "It makes sense. All that switching bodies…he said it was to preserve his life…but he was feeding on them…wasn't he?" Naruto asked, looking to Gavin.

"I assume. That is what Shade's generally do; they take on the form of their last victim. They share many of our advantages. For example, they, like us, steal all genetic information, memory, strength, and basically everything else from whomever they devour." Gavin said. At this, Tsunade perked her head up, having a realization.

"Gavin, in this world, certain genetic anomalies manifest themselves as what we refer to as bloodline limits. This can cause any number of effects. Is it possible for Naruto and you to…steal these?" Tsunade asked. Naruto answered.

"I already have the Byakugan." Naruto said. Sakura stared at him in disbelief, and Naruto activated the eyes, and then deactivated them. "I find them useless, actually." Naruto said. Tsunade raised an eyebrow, but decided that compared with Naruto's other new…skills, something like the Byakugan was a trifle.

"Never discount a weapon. Shades use them, you should too." Gavin said. "Thank god this is a world of people used to fighting, all you have to do is absorb a few souls and you'll be ready to fight a Shade. Now look, can we take this to a field or something? I'd rather not try to teach Naruto about fighting Shade's here, we would wreck this office." Naruto nodded. Tsunade motioned for them to wait.

"Naruto, before you go, what do you want me to do about your file?" Tsunade asked. "Would you like me to re-instate you as a shinobi of the leaf?"

"Naruto, I would advise against it. You cannot afford to be bound by any law other then your own. This village must lend its assistance to you anyway. If they don't, you can just take what you want." Gavin said. Tsunade and Sakura instantly hated him for that.

"What he says is true Tsunade. I do not want to be bound to serve anyone or anything apart from myself and my duty. But I will be more then happy to ally with Konoha, if only because I wouldn't really know any other place to go to, since I spent so much time here." Naruto said. Tsunade nodded.

"Can we go now? I want to start teaching you ASAP, get you started, and get back to my world." Gavin said.

"Can you follow me?" Naruto said. Gavin smirked.

"Anywhere." Gavin said. Naruto disappeared in blue flame, and Gavin followed. Tsunade instantly contacted ANBU, and again increased the priority level of their missions to locate Uchiha Itachi and Orochimaru. Sakura was somewhat relieved that _her_ Naruto wasn't gone, at least not for good. She walked home, relieved for the time being.

* * *

Post Notes:

A Chapter of explanations is boring, but it is necessary. I would take this further, but I want to update today and I am busy all week so I figured I should just get this out now.


	4. Shape of Evil

AN: I want to say right now that I have never watched and/or read Bleach. Any similarities this story has with it are pretty much coincidence. Not that I mind the comparison, I just want to be clear on where my influence stems from. _The Crow_ was the biggest influence for this story. A few people have inquired as to the nature of Gavin, so let me be clear, he is not a Mary Sue or anything, it's just a name I like to use. I use the name in a lot of short stories, so he's had a few roles, and you could call this his latest. As for this going crossover, it could, and it **might. **Nothing definite just yet. And for all those you who haven't figured it out, this is going to be a Naru/Saku deal, mostly because someone asked me to write one. For the record, I am going to refer to Naruto and Gavin as Angels, or Demons, of Judgment. Might as well give them a name right?

Chapter 4 of Shattered Souls

Shape of Evil

On the open training field, Gavin created what he called a weak imitation of a Shade, in its true form. Naruto gasped at the sight of the creature. Evil seemed to permeate from it, tsunamis of killing intent rolling off it. In life, he was certain he would have fainted, if not been killed from the sheer will to maim and destroy coming from the imitation Shade. He shuddered to think what the real thing would be like.

The Shade was roughly eight feet tall, and its body looked roughly humanoid…apart of the black leathery wings, the eyes of solid red, the barbed, whip like tail, and the fact that it was covered in spines. Gavin hadn't allowed it to move so he could teach Naruto about the physiology of Shades. He let Naruto study the creature on his own, to look for any possible weak point. Naruto touched the blacker then black skin to find that it was harder then any steel. Testing a kunai against it, he only succeeded in ruining a perfectly good kunai. He walked over to one of the spines adorning its entire body, save its front, and ran a finger on one. Without putting any pressure on it, the spine tore into his finger. The injury didn't heal quickly.

"I thought I was invincible." Naruto said.

"No living thing can hurt you. Shades are much like us, except for the whole monstrosity thing. They have adapted ways to hurt us like they would any mortal. Those spines are also coated with a very powerful poison. Fortunately, that poison won't work on you; it just makes you take a little while longer to heal. It only really matters if they sever a muscle, or tendons, or prevent you from moving in some other way. It's not as if you bleed. Their claws have the same effect, and they are sharper. Now, take a look at its mouth." Gavin said, opening the mouth of his creation.

Peering inside, Naruto had to inch back at the horrid smell. It was worse then a drowned body after a few days (_AN: This is probably the worst smelling thing I could think of, it's enough to make a person hurl, easily. I know the smell because when I lived in Miami I got some training as a rescue diver._). "How am I supposed to look in that thing? This thing needs a breath mint…or a few thousand." Naruto said.

"You used your mind to remove reliance on your sight; all you need to do is sever your sense of smell temporarily." Gavin said. Naruto stared at him for a moment before attempting it, and found that it was actually quite easy. Death had indeed given him a great deal of control over his body. Being able to look into the maw of evil, he studied it. The jaw stretched to unbelievable lengths, enough to swallow a person whole. The teeth were arranged in a pattern similar to many sharks. Rows of razor sharp teeth ran along the top, bottom, and in some places the sides of its mouth. Naruto reasoned that by moving its jaw in a certain way, it could literally rip a human being to shreds. The tongue of the beast was the only thing reminiscent of a human being.

"The tongue is covered in an extremely powerful hallucinogen and an even more powerful acid. A Shade releases these at will to kill or disable an opponent. The acid won't work on you, but the hallucinogen will, and it can shoot that tongue out like a frog can." Gavin said. Naruto backed away slightly.

Remembering that he was supposed to be looking for weak points, he ran his hands over most of the weak points a human would have. It seemed that Shades didn't have a weak place. They didn't even have a crotch he could kick. This left him with one answer he was reluctant to give, but it was the only one he could come up with.

"Shades don't have a weak point, at least not against any physical assault. So how the fuck do I kill one?" Naruto said.

"You don't. Shades are like us, they can't be killed. You see, a Shade is created when a soul is shattered and tries to patch itself back together so it can pass on. Most souls don't shatter, only those made weak through years of being a vile being. The more the soul is shattered, the more powerful the Shade. What you are looking at is…I would say the soul of some guy who liked to snatch purses. So, to destroy a Shade, you break its soul again with your power. To do this, you need to get past its armor. You are going to need some kind of weapon. I always liked a good shotgun." Gavin said.

"Shotgun?" Naruto asked. Gavin sweat dropped.

"Never mind. You create a weapon with your power, since only something made by you can even scratch their armor. You are a ninja, I'm sure you know a few that could make a good cut." Gavin said. Naruto didn't answer; he just produced the same twin blades he had used to slaughter the crowd of criminals. "That would work." Gavin said.

Naruto tested his blade against the Shade's armor. It went in, but not easily. "Bathe it and the Shade in your fire. It weakens the armor and strengthens the blade." Gavin said. Naruto let blue fire coat his weapon, and watched as it had the same effect on the shade's armor that a lighter would have on plastic if held at a distance. The blade tore in, and Naruto ripped it out. He took a moment to enjoy his accomplishment, only to look again and see that the wound had already healed.

"What the hell?" Naruto said.

"Shades heal quickly. They do notice pain though, the problem being that they thrive on it. Once you have punctured the Shade's armor, you need to use white fire on it. To use the fire of purity on a Shade is basically giving any living thing arsenic. Watch." Gavin said. In his hand appeared a sword much like Naruto's, and he made a good size cut in an arm with one hand. With the other, he sent a wave of white fire into the wound before it could heal. Naruto watched the flesh and muscle burn away as if it were nothing.

"A Shade's armor is made from living material, so you can only do this after you are through it." Gavin explained. He stopped the fire before it would permanently damage the Shade. "But even this won't kill it. After you have done enough damage to leave the Shade incapable of attacking, you need to shatter the soul again, and after doing so, you destroy each piece. Do not absorb them…I made that mistake once." Gavin said gravely. Naruto took the warning seriously.

"So how do I shatter a soul?" Naruto asked.

"Every one of us has a different method. You have to find yours. I can help you a little. You need to somehow pour blue fire into their souls, after all their protection has been ripped away. The invisible links that hold their soul together exist throughout their body, and white fire severs the protection around them, but only blue fire can be used to destroy something completely and utterly. However, each Angel, or Demon, of Judgment focuses their fire differently. Just figure out what part of their dismantled soul you think you can use the best, and focus on it. From there, it's straightforward. Spread your fire throughout their soul, and don't stop burning until there is nothing left." Gavin said.

"So let me see if I have the order right. First, pierce the skin with blue fire and a weapon of some kind. Second, destroy the physical protection around the soul links with white fire, and make the Shade immobile at the same time. Third, focus my blue fire on a part of their soul, and just let it spread. Is that it?" Naruto said, bored.

"It isn't easy. Shades are powerful. The only reason you don't see them in this form is they can change form twice in their existence, and most change into humans at the first chance to be able to feed easier. As I said, they feed on the souls of the living."

"At least that means I'm not on the menu…right?"

"Sorry, kid. They want our power, and we are a soul, basically. We're not just on the menu, we're a delicacy." Gavin said.

"Shit."

"Pretty much. So, I'm going to be here awhile, I think I should get to know you. Who's the pink haired girl? I can feel it, you care about her."

"Her name is Sakura…and thanks for reassuring me."

"About what?"

"That I do actually care. It's hard to identify concern…" Naruto said. Gavin nodded in understanding. "I loved her throughout my life. It went unrequited for the most part. Something does feel different in her though, and I still can't figure out why she would stand over my grave." Naruto said.

"You could just search her soul to find out, you know."

"I respect her too much to go digging. I am not above listening to a stray thought, but I won't do that…it seems wrong, somehow." Naruto said. Gavin shrugged.

"So how did you end up like this anyway?"

"It's a long story; you might want to sit down. On the day of my birth, a demon fox attacked this village. This demon was the most powerful thing in existence, at least the knowledge of my people at the time. I think a good Shade would make even the Kyuubi scared, but whatever. My father, the Fourth leader of this village, or as we call him, the Yondaime Hokage, gave his life to seal the fox into me not an hour after my birth. My mother died after giving birth to me, leaving me an orphan." Naruto said.

"That wasn't that long, but damn. That's some rough shit. Is the fox still in you?" Gavin asked.

"No idea, if he is, he is hiding somewhere in my head. The fox and I got along after awhile, so I let him walk around. He was stuck in a cage in my mind, and getting a little restless, so I changed things around. And now, he's using it to hide from me. But anyway, that's not the end of this story. My father wanted Konoha to see my as a hero, for containing the Kyuubi. They didn't. The first reaction they had was a mass call for my death. It got to the point where a law had to be created which made it punishable via execution to so much as mention the fact that I contained the Kyuubi, or to lay a finger on me. That didn't stop too many people. Most of our villages ANBU were unwilling to carry out the law, since they would rather see me dead." Naruto said. "Throughout my life I was beaten by villagers, escaping assassins, and struggling just to get a meal. Of course, this is still only one part of the story."

"I'm sorry…I led a harsh life too." Gavin said empathetically.

"This next part involves my teammate, Uchiha Sasuke. He lived alone too. His older brother, Uchiha Itachi, massacred his family. Nobody knows why, although Itachi claimed the point was to test himself. Sasuke came home and his brother left him alive, but only after forcing him to watch the massacre of his family for three days straight. He did this with a powerful move called Tsukiyomi, which draws the victim into a world in which the user has absolute power. In a second of real-time, the victim suffers usually 72 hours of brutal torture, of whatever kind the user wants. In this case, he made Sasuke watch his brother kill of every last Uchiha." Gavin had nothing to say in response.

"Sasuke has since spent every second of every day thinking about how to kill Itachi, and eventually, he decided the only way to do it would be to gain the same power Itachi had, the Mangekyou Sharingan. The Uchiha were a highly respected clan for their bloodline, the Sharingan eye, and the Mangekyou was the ultimate level, obtained only by killing one's best friend. In Sasuke's case, that would be me. He wants it so he can use Tsukiyomi and the other two special techniques the eye grants against his brother. What sickens me is how Sasuke acts. He is just a brooding idiot. The entire village loved him, worshiped him, simply because of who his family was, and he still betrayed them."

"We became teammates with Sakura when we became Genin. Shortly thereafter, we became good friends, albeit in a weird way. Orochimaru got to him, however, with a seal that infected his mind. Sakura had always loved him, and after Sasuke gave in to the seal and abandoned Konoha, I went after him for her. I failed the first time. I spent three years training for my second shot, and that time, I succeeded. I brought him back with a few bad wounds, but nothing life threatening. Killing him would have been easy, but I promised her I would bring him back. I used everything I had, letting him put me close to death to bring him back in one piece. And guess what happened roughly a year ago, when I brought the bastard home."

"It happened then, huh?" Gavin asked, referring to Naruto's death.

"Yeah. The villagers saw that I had harmed Sasuke, and beat me to death. I was already drained and half dead, so I couldn't defend myself. As it turns out, Sasuke left again. Everything I have did up till then was for nothing." Naruto said. He got up and walked away, not in the mood to continue. Gavin looked on and sighed.

"No, all that wasn't for nothing. It gave you the power that will let you set everything right. Judges become what we are because of the way they lived. Even if you can't see it, I can read Sakura like a book. I barley know her, and I can guarantee she is in love with you." Naruto didn't hear him, but then, Gavin knew that.

* * *

Post Notes: 

I'm really sorry about the formatting, but I copy/pasted into the editor, so it's not so perfect.


End file.
